Foodborne illnesses are largely preventable and food handling safety risks are more common than people think.  In order to make sure that our citizens don’t become a statistic, the Franklin County Board of Health requires that ALL FOOD HANDLERS and MANAGERS complete a course in food safety and maintain a valid and current certification. 

A basic Food Handler Certification course is required for all persons working in Food Service establishments in Frankfort and Franklin County. The health department will require all food service employees to maintain a valid and up-to-date certification. During routine inspections, follow-up inspections and complaint investigations the Environmentalist shall require proof of certification. The manager should keep copies of staff certifications as well as their own. An official follow-up notification will be issued to the establishment for failure to obtain the required training. The establishment will have 30 business days to complete the required training. Failure to do so will result in an Official Notice for a Hearing to the establishment.

**Other Food Handler Training, that will be acceptable are NRA ServeSafe training, other Kentucky county health department food handler courses,  as well as others to be reviewed and approved by this office. Those certifications as well as ours shall be up to date, no more than 2 years old.

New Establishments

New establishments will be granted a 60-day window for new staff to be trained. Newly hired employees of existing facilities will be allowed 30 days from date of hire to receive training. Our certification is valid for 2 years.